Compton Crook Award
The Compton Crook Award is presented to the best English language first novel of the year in the field of science fiction, fantasy, or horror by the members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society at their annual science fiction convention, Balticon, held in Baltimore on Memorial Day weekend. Awards have been presented since 1983. The award is also known as the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award.
The list of eligible books is published in the monthly newsletter so all club members will have a chance to read and vote. The winning author is invited to Balticon, and presented with the cash award of $1,000. Compton Crook, who wrote under the name of Stephen Tall, was a long-time Baltimore resident, Towson University professor, and science fiction author. He died in 1981.Winners
- 2019 - R. F. Kuang, The Poppy War
- 2018 - Nicky Drayden, The Prey of Gods
- 2017 - Ada Palmer, Too Like The Lightning
- 2016 - Fran Wilde, Updraft
- 2015 - Alexandra Duncan, Salvage
- 2014 - Charles E. Gannon, Fire With Fire
- 2013 - Myke Cole, Control Point
- 2012 - T. C. McCarthy, Germline
- 2011 - James Knapp, State of Decay
- 2010 - Paolo Bacigalupi, The Windup Girl
- 2009 - Paul Melko, Singularity's Ring
- 2008 - Mark L. Van Name, One Jump Ahead
- 2007 - Naomi Novik, His Majesty's Dragon
- 2006 - Maria V. Snyder, Poison Study
- 2005 - Tamara Siler Jones, Ghosts in the Snow
- 2004 - E. E. Knight, Way of the Wolf
- 2003 - Patricia Bray, Devlin's Luck
- 2002 - Wen Spencer, Alien Taste
- 2001 - Syne Mitchell, Murphy's Gambit
- 2000 - Stephen L. Burns, Flesh and Silver
- 1999 - James Stoddard, The High House
- 1998 - Katie Waitman, The Merro Tree
- 1997 - Richard Garfinkle, Celestial Matters
- 1996 - Daniel Graham Jr., The Gatekeepers
- 1995 - Doranna Durgin, Dun Lady's Jess
- 1994 - Mary Rosenblum, The Drylands
- 1993 - Holly Lisle, Fire in the Mist
- 1992 - Carol Severance, Reefsong
- 1991 - Michael Flynn, In the Country of the Blind
- 1990 - Josepha Sherman, The Shining Falcon
- 1989 - Elizabeth Moon, Sheepfarmer's Daughter
- 1988 - Christopher Hinz, Liege-Killer
- 1987 - Thomas Wren Doomsday Effect
- 1986 - Sheila Finch, Infinity's Web
- 1985 - David R. Palmer, Emergence
- 1984 - Christopher Rowley, War For Eternity
- 1983 - Donald Kingsbury, Courtship Rite'